Notes from a Friend's Town

this morning my mother passed. I'm 2 cups of coffee in on some of life's most valuable wisdom. Your devotion in my absence is appreciated.

1. Today we feast on starches & proteins & rich sugars swimming in leaded creams as we carry on a tradition of thankfullness. Yet, were we thankful in the drought? 2. I've made it a priority of my sense of style to always include a bit of color, especially in the fall. As a balance of sorts to the weather's affect on one's spirit. I've been doing a horrid job of it all this week. There's hope for today, outings remain. 3. I skipped football again this year. It wasn't even a conscious decision either. Just didn't sit on the sofa to watch it. 4. My summer investment in a denim jacket has proved quite wise. It's a must have piece. 5. Julia Alvarez's In the Time of Butterflies is a wonderful book. Her presentation of life under Trujillo is breathtaking. Yea, I said breathtaking. 6. These candied yams are about to be amazing! 7. I lead a rich life, wealthy in quality beyond measure. The mere fact that I can recall multipl...

1.  I'll readily admit that my knowledge of the war to restore Palestine has mainly been of a passing nature. While ongoing and horrific, the distance afforded to me by living in America easily envelops one in the luxury of ignorance. I've had no problem accepting such a generous offer. I didn't want the burden of another war on my conscious anyways. Fast forward several years, my knowledge is expanding but it's a full time job to stay abreast of the conflict. I'm enrolled in a Post Colonial Literature course this semester and one of the text, Mornings in Jenin  deals with the conflict. We've viewed the film Salt of this Sea  to provide a visual catalog of this most coveted land. I've grown angry with my complacency, my devotion to ignoring the details of this experience in hopes of preserving my comfort zone. 2.  There's more speculation about the production of atomic weapons in Iran. The question remains however, what end result will realist...

1. Finally made it out to San Francisco last weekend. Gorgeous area, rode alongside the Pacific & sat in awe of the endless horizon. Experienced a little of each major neighborhood by foot, breaking in my red Clark's Desert Boots quite nicely. It's unfortunate that in such a beautiful land, I saw soo many without shelter. Quite often within a 10 minute stroll of million dollar homes. Such is life in America. 2. It's a rule of the universe that dealing with family requires all of the etiquette one can recall. That I find both inconvenient & unfortunate. 3. Found socks & plenty of vinyls in San Francisco. Brought back the socks, made notes on the later. 4. Turquoise blazer >>>>> 5. Just because its convenient does mean I'm convinced. 6. Applause to Herman Cain, aka Clarence Thomas's corporate cousin. The media deals that will follow his speculation on a presidential run could easily add up to $5 Mil. That's a payday. 7....

Before me lies the cold of fall, my birth preceding the season of warm spices & sharp winds making night of days littered with clouds. Historically, my vision is more optimistic during this period, rose tinted lenses courtesy of "you were blessed with another year" celebrations. I've come to appreciate that, reminded each year that clarity will be born of harsh North winds. This year offers nothing different, nothing to suspend my anticipation. There is however, an added bonus so to say. This year l look forward to dancing slowly in the rain. Two-stepping in a Tuesday thunderstorm, beauty clouding our absurdity.

1. One way or another, I find my lunch sponsored by the good people of Central & South America. I salute them, because they keep my hunger in check and my wallet happy. Of course the cuisine is second to none during the allotted hour of peace that punctuates the work day. 2. I haven't worn a watch in years, between my cell phone and an iPod, the time has always been readily available. For reasons I have yet to locate, I decided it was time to begin wearing one again in January of this year. I've been haphazardly going about selecting a piece since then without making a decision. The decision making process has recently ended. It's quite the timepiece, if I may say so myself. Next time I see you, I'll tell you all about it. 3. Make sure that when you destroy an alliance, that which you are dismissing is accounted for in the party you're siding with. As a matter of fact, make sure that which you're dismissing and more is present in the party you side wi...

1. It takes a fresh perspective to remind you of that which you are already aware. 2. If I come to you with a serious matter and you can't scrape up two ounces of maturity to at least acknowledge whats been presented, its best we cease our exchange. 3. In light of some less than enjoyable news, I've both lost my focus and acquired a degree of clarity about my life. Neither of which offsets the other sufficiently to forecast forward motion but it makes the time seated pass with a greater degree of purpose. 4. When others are brave enough to make you aware of what they see in you, even if you don't completely understand their reasoning, listen to the conviction that crosses their lips. 5. Be at ease with your vices, as such allows you to speak with conviction when you warn others of the downside of those guilty pleasures. 6. Leave no truth unspoken. Theres a remarkable peace that comes when you know you've been completely honest with some one, even if your...

Peace Peace, My apologies for the absence, life has been living me out of sleep and solitude. I'll have some dry explanation soon. This morning, I have only this. May it be sufficient.  W

📸 x  K.J.Jones 1. I've published a book of my writings, mainly poetry, available for purchase here . Buy a copy or 2 so we can fight my hunger together, as a unified force. Aided by your funding, my direction is clarified. 2. Its quite amazing what perspective allows you to handle and assess. In it's absence, I found a certain exchange magnanimous, filled with opaque understandings that were overarching principles preventing me from dealing comfortably with the entire matter. Once I was afforded perspective and thus able to postulate at some motivators, I no longer found myself unable to operate in the exchange. It's clearer now, and for that, I am grateful. 3. The women of my generation make less sense the more I interact with them. I'm sure millions of men before me have said the same thing and if they haven't chances are they weren't interested in women in the first place. No shots fired of course, but I don't believe gay men are ...

Rock the Bells made a tour stop in New Orleans recently. Ghostface & Raekwon performing Only Built for Cuban Links & Mobb Depp performing Infamous all at the House of Blues, one night only. I grew up in the mid 90s so I recall WuTang Clan & their offerings during that era. It was a grimey and dark time. Their descriptions of New York City life during that time reflected said reality. Crack cocaine had spread across the country and those involved were often shrewd businessmen whose patience often was thicker the dirty currency crammed deep into their dungarees. Their music would often transport you to a brutally honest space in time where your life could end for less than the change in your pocket. They were an untouchable group of Super Niggas, determined to make it known that money doesn't alter behavior patterns. They we(a)re WuTang. Sadly enough, they appear to be the same as 40 year old men. The show was an excellent show for the Hip Hop purest, one of the estee...

1. If I owe you, bill me. 3. I've this habit of "reading" people when we meet first. It's as presumptuous as it sounds, on both readings. I've had my assumptions independently verified on several occasions. There remains the strong possibility that I'm guessing very well, very often. 2. For the first time in my adult life, not being able to experience an object of my desires is bothering me. Such that my natural rhythms are off and in routine there exists no solace. 4. Communication technology and it's ability to make the notion of being unavailable obsolete is beginning to take it's toll on my resolve. I have 4 email addresses, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and a blog yet none of them resonate with my ethos on communication. None of them afford me the awkward silences that occur when the conversation between people exchanging spent air and long stares reaches an unexpected lull. The moment when you have to jog your memory, not your browser to keep...

1. If the person you're planning to marry comes up in conversation and your speech about them reflects an understanding of them as a role player and not as an active partner in the future that's being discussed, there is a problem. You've reduced the marriage to an objective to be completed, which strips it of it's significance. 2. It's written on my face and you can read it from my psalms. 3. There is something to be learned from a (wo)man who lives a life devoid of significant connection to material goods. It provides an immense degree of freedom & will alter the relationship you have with your living space. It's a bit much for me at this juncture but I do respect those are able to procure the most from such a lifestyle. 4. In listening to what isn't being said, I've been able to better understand what is being said and this deciphering act keeps me from saying much at all which reads to the masses as though I have little to say, if anything, a...

* balloonboyd.tumblr.com is my Tumblr page. Give a gander and hit follow, it'll make my day. 1. I've the urge to place a hole in a proverbial ant hill just to see the ants scramble to repair the destruction. It would be my fortune to kick an empty mound wide open. 2. I grilled ribs for July 4th, prepped them the night before with a rub and everything. When I decided it was time to eat, I had no desire to eat any of it. I hope I'm not losing my affinity for animal protein, its one of the only primitive connections to manhood that remain once you dismiss all things patriarchal (I'm still working on that) . 3. There remains nothing more annoying that unfinished business, especially when it is of a personal matter and readily resolvable. No sense in attempting to bring proper closure to the matter, an ending is an ending regardless of its lack of finesse. 4. I was brought to a place of accepting the obvious this morning. I took on too many projects with my ego convin...

1. My ever evolving understanding of masculinity in the American context, as that is where I am based and where I make my observations, has a recurring awareness of restraints and adherence to limits. The continuing designation between the civilized and the savage is refined when the former exercises restraint where the latter does not. Restraint. 2. Summer fail : Neighborhood bar in New Orleans with a booze sponsored event & a broken AC. Definitely won't tell anyone how to run their business but that's not the way to have customers return. 3. Last week, my pride took a hit. I'm well aware of the absence of respect modernity has fostered amongst us. This decline in interpersonal interactions has in part been aided by the expansion of interpersonal communication systems. You can imagine my disgust when an engagement I arranged was essential canceled within 2hrs of the agreed time. I was only made aware of the cancellation because I need to switch venues at the last...

1. It's far less than wise to be rude to the person who sets your barber's appointment book. It has the potential to leave you looking less than presentable for much longer that necessary. 2. I have come to a conflicted sense of political and social awareness recently. The world over is filled with reports of revolts, uprising, revolution suppressions, etc yet my recurring primary concern remains how do I provide food for myself. At the risk of being apathetic, I'm most concerned with the food on my plate. 3. Her presence induces my smile and that is sufficient. 4. Rest in peace, Hawaiian Sophie. You served me well over the years, a man couldn't ask more from a bow tie. 5. The American Librarian Association is in town this week. I know some wild librarian nerd orgy ish will happen during this conference. Why you ask, because there's only so much sexual tension you can exhaust while administrating a house of knowledge. 6. Comedians that entertain without ...

My tax dollars hard at work as the orange glow guides mosquitoes across legs, round thighs over kneecaps and sandal straps while my hands are forced to settle on nice hips and sweet lips. My eyes stalking ears as they spy on a neck shrouded in new growth. Breaths shorter than quick glances cool the night air, while sighs exchanged relay pieces of sincerity in the moment. Patience. We ignore numbers, double digit directives that provide boundaries. Sweet nothings murmured while the neighbor completes his old fashioned journey home. The shuffling of his smooth soled shoes tapping against light poles and garbage cans. No compass to consult he verifies his destination guessing at the shape of his front door while scouring his pocket for keys under the orange glow of the street light, his tax dollars hard at work.

1. The Devil knows more from being old than from being the Devil - Mexican Proverb. 2. I think I'm becoming a bit of a film snob because nothing that's available at the big box movie houses captures my attention. This is mildly disappointing because I spent many summers as a kid in the movie theatre. Not some old world building filled with charm, closer to an old suburb special with so so carpet and a cold AC. Those were good times though. 3. I was only thinking of a book and you mentioned a whole publishing house. I like that. 4. It's such a waste of potential when I encounter a young mind hell bend on dramatic social change that refuses to engage the text of well known theorists. You will not come to an understanding significant enough to carry you through the dirty work of existing in opposition to a larger system if you fail to study critically.  You're constant need to voice an opinion makes it known that you have much still to learn. 5. I could use a ...

1. Are you sleeping next to the shrine?? I made my pallet over, and I don't wanna sleep next to it at all. 2. I've been attempting to detach myself from somethings for awhile and only recently have I achieved my goal. Theres no need for public celebration, as the abundant cynics would dismiss my delay as a development deficit. 3. Man, I got this real deal hippie friend, less about the dope more about the spiritual experience. She takes the most random of photos with some of the weirdest looking people but I like it. The photos, I don't know. She leads this very mysterious but remarkably open life. 4. Raisin Bran Crunch >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Honey Bunches of Oats 5. As I sipped a cup of over roasted and consequently over sweetened coffee Sunday morning, I realized that I had no complaints about the cup whatsoever. My disdain was trumped by one mere fact : It was a free cup of coffee. I am a sucker for a free cup of coffee, as ...

1. I've a sixth sense that I'm reaching minute 10 of 15 re: my charm in a new exchange. Lets hope my knowledge aggregation skills keep me relevant. I don't doubt that they will but I'm humble enough to hope. 2. I still don't understand the pricing logic for men's clothes. Yes, the large portion of men shop infrequently because they collectively find the task laborious and rife with an abundance of options that need not be made available. That accounted for, updating a wardrobe, in a very minimalist manner shouldn't easily near one to the $600 range. Not only is that absurd, it's not even the great pieces, just the "basics". 3. I went to one of my preferred watering holes last night for an engagement. In the event the party joining me had been lackluster, I might have been inclined to never return there again. The service was the worse it's ever been. I'm no "Mr. Consumer" who voices every gripe ever birthed from a less tha...

1. Obama got a little carried away thinking Netenyahu was going to agree to '67 borders just because he said its long been time to end the conflict. 1a. Qaddafi's tape >>>>>>>>>>> bin Ladebn tapes. 2. The simple sno-ball (akin to a sno-cone for my visitor who haven't made it down yet) was clearly boring the local foodies. Confectioner's traditional fruit & candy inspired offerings were not enough, so some brilliant Food Network fan decides to offer a sour pickle flavored sno-ball. Have I tried it, hell no! Will I just to confirm that it is a horrible idea in conception & execution, I haven't decided yet. 3. Roy Ayer's Everybody Loves the Sunshine is a favorite of mine. It also induces a slight chuckle thanks to the marvels of modern technology. 4. After years of debating, I have procured a pair of white pants. No, not painter's pants, white jeans to be specific. Lets see how well execute this ensemble. 5. ...

1. I've been told these times build character, that they enrich the soul by imparting life lessons. They've matured me beyond my years and now I struggle to see the surface for constantly examining the implications of the ideas and attitudes that create these scenes. 2. We don't agree, rather, I don't agree on the matter. I present my objective views on the matter and the logic that guides you contradicts all that's been presented. My spent breath resonates as wasted and you leave to do as you desire. 3. Can you survive against all odds? 4. I've washed my hands of you, cleansed my laptop of you. Yet if I look at a calendar too long, I can recall conversations we had years ago around the date my eye falls on. It's as though my mind won't completely rid itself of you despite my desires. Despite your cold shoulder, your indifference, your absolute absence of compassion, my mind still finds something of value in the memory of you. It is in these moments...

1. I've become agnostic. Perhaps, I've been here for sometime and didn't realize that i was. Regardless, I'm still developing a sense of what it means & how I'm going to verbalize my developing understanding. 2. I thought after x, I'd be able to do y with more focus. Not so. I'm still mulling over the essence of what is necessary to complete x, which I'm realizing I haven't yet accomplished. This still leaves y unattended. Hence a (new) dilemma. 3. In my youth, I wished for a summer where I would be able to read as much as I wanted. No camps to attend, no yard work to do, nothing. This summer looks like that dream a little, I just wish the circumstances were much different. 4. On the way to movies with my brother last week, we were discussing a long bankrupt local grocer, Canal Villiere & the many time we walked the mile between there and home when we were much younger. The discomfort that was at the essence of those experiences came back...

1. The older I get, I more I understand how people develop an absolute hatred & distolerance for organized religion. 2. Finally gave in & bought some Tom's last week. They're comfortable, any one whose worn canvas sneaker can attest. They are also much less than practical for the demands of my schedule would allow. 3. Consistent clear communication would change the world. 4. There was a quote by Thomas Strohm(?) that I admired for years "I have earned my pain but I do not deserve my tears". My ignorance of the original context accounted for, I've lost admiration for it. I suspect 5. Just cause you can't understand him, it don't mean that he's nice. It just means that you can't all the bullshit that he writes - S. Carter on Nas. It also applies to 1 in 7 books published recently. 6. Respect the moment, for it alone holds truth. While those elements of truth may apply to later moments, they should not be understood as absolute truths th...

1. The exterminator is a chill as dude, when he ain't spray poison all over the place. 2. Jose Torres-Tama performance was amazing. It was assertive, aggressive, compassionate, & at some points comedic. It's amazing how the phrase "Illegal Immigrant" only focuses on group of such people. 3. I respect the notion of a uniform, it makes things a tad simpler in the morning. However, it's remarkably disappointing to see throngs of adult men bound to the blue shirt/blue jeans, blue or white shirt/khakis, & the polo shirt/khakis combo. Sadly enough, these men genuinely don't see a thing wrong with such subversive conformity. 4. Where are the moderately attractive women hiding? There's appears to be an abundance of the respective extremes, but shortage of middle ground. It's like having your mouth set on a sandwich but you walk into a bakery, not a deli. Being a resident of said middle ground, I'm sure I didn't move into a foreclosed subdi...